KR20210117885A - Drying apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A drying apparatus of the present disclosure is to send air for drying intensively to a specific part of a user. According to the present disclosure, the drying apparatus comprises: a body; an air inlet; a bar supported by the body and including an air outlet; and at least one flow generator which receives intake air from the air inlet and discharges a forced air flow through the air outlet. At least one motor is provided to rotate the bar about an axis oriented substantially parallel to a drying surface of the body, wherein rotation of the bar redirects the air outlet.

Description

Drying apparatus

The present disclosure relates to a drying apparatus and a drying method, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to an apparatus for drying a person or part of a person.

In this specification to which a document, act, or item of knowledge is referenced and discussed, it is clear that the reference or discussion indicates that the document, act, or item of knowledge or a combination thereof was publicly available, known, and common at the priority date. It is not an admission that it is part of or is otherwise known to constitute prior art in accordance with applicable law or to an attempt to solve the problems associated with this specification.

A regular shower or bath is a common activity in modern society. In many cultures, shower tubs are used daily. For example, if you do some form of exercise during the day, you may want to wash more than once a day.

A person may get wet as a result of a shower or because of sweating. Drying of this moisture is very important for human health to prevent the growth of bacteria or mold on the person.

Given the right environment, such moisture can evaporate on its own, but for convenience and comfort, most people wash themselves or wipe themselves after exercise. Wiping with a towel is a good way to remove moisture from a person, but to effectively prevent bacteria and mold - especially around the feet - drying can take time and such areas can dry inappropriately. Towel drying your hair can be annoying and complicated, especially for people with long hair.

Aside from the issue of using towels to dry people as much as they want, the number and frequency of towels used means that towels make up a significant portion of the total laundry. This is especially true when towels are used only once, such as in gyms, sports clubs and hotels.

Washing of towels is energy intensive, and consumption of clean water is also problematic from an environmental point of view. The depletion of freshwater resources is known to be a widespread problem in many parts of the world. The number of towels washed and how often they are washed in general consumes a significant amount of water resources.

In order to solve this problem, a body dryer such as Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0948030 (Prior Art 1) and Korean Patent No. 10-1749344 (Prior Art 2) has been provided. These body dryers supply air to dry the user's body toward the user's feet or lower body when the user stands on the footrest to remove moisture from the body without using a towel. However, these prior arts 1 and 2 have a problem in that they cannot provide drying for the user's entire body.

To overcome this, Republic of Korea Registered Utility Model No. 20-0232774 (Prior Art 3) was proposed. Here, a space in which the entire body of the user is accommodated is provided, and drying is performed by spraying high-temperature air to all parts of the body. However, here, air is provided to the entire body of the user, and air for drying is provided without distinction between the wet and dry parts of the user's body. There is a problem of

In addition, in the case of a specific part of the user's body, for example, the hair part, a relatively large amount of moisture remains after bathing or showering compared to other parts, and there is a problem that there is no countermeasure for this case.

It is intended to solve or improve one or more of the above-mentioned problems by providing a drying system that at least provides the public with a useful alternative.

While certain aspects of prior art have been discussed for ease of description, Applicants in no way deny such technical aspects, it is contemplated that the claimed invention may include or have one or more of the existing technical aspects discussed herein. do.

The present disclosure seeks to address one or more of the above-mentioned problems by providing devices and methods that not only improve health and hygiene, but also have a positive impact on the environment. For example, the devices and methods of the present disclosure provide efficient and effective drying of a person or part of a person, thereby reducing or eliminating reliance on towels.

An object of the drying apparatus of the present disclosure is to send air for drying intensively to a specific part of the user.

An object of the drying apparatus of the present disclosure is to control the movement of a bar capable of providing a forced air flow to a specific part of a user.

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the claimed invention includes any and all combinations of features, configurations and/or steps described herein, and is not limited to those features, configurations and/or steps as set forth in the appended claims. should be understood as including

The present disclosure includes a body, an air inlet, and a bar supported by the body, wherein the bar includes an air outlet and at least one flow generator for receiving intake from the air inlet and discharging a forced air flow through the air outlet Describe the drying device. At least one motor is provided to rotate the bar about an axis oriented substantially parallel to the drying surface of the body, the rotation of the bar redirecting the air outlet.

As used herein, the term “and/or” means “and” or “or”, or both.

As used herein, "(s)" following a noun means the plural and/or singular form of the noun.

For the purposes of this specification, the term “plastic” should be interpreted to mean a general term for a broad range of synthetic or semi-synthetic polymerization products and includes hydrocarbon-based polymer(s).

For the purposes of this specification, when method steps are described in order, the order means that the steps must be arranged in that order over time, unless explicitly stated or otherwise logically stated to interpret the order. it is not doing

Many changes in the construction of the present invention and widely other embodiments and other applications may be suggested to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosure and description herein are purely exemplary and are not intended to be limiting in any sense.

Other aspects of embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the following description given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The drying apparatus according to the present invention provides at least one or more of the following effects.

In the present invention, there is an air outlet around the edge of the drying surface of the body, and air for drying is also provided from the bar moving up and down along the body, so that the user's body can be dried as a whole and the desired part can be accurately dried at the same time. has the effect of being

In the present invention, the temperature of the forced air discharged from the body and the bar can be managed using a thermoelectric device. Accordingly, there is an effect that it is possible to properly dry by supplying a forced air flow at an appropriate temperature according to the moisture state of the user's body.

And, in the present invention, the forced air flow was discharged while rotating about the horizontal axis while the bar moved to a specific position on the body. Such a rotation of the bar allows the forced air flow to send a greater amount of forced air to a specific part of the body, which has the effect of quickly drying parts with relatively high moisture.

In the present invention, since the movement and rotation of the bar is controlled by using a proximity sensor to prevent a collision with the user or the surroundings during movement and rotation of the bar, there is an effect that the use of the drying device is made safely.

(0019) The objects and features of the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and claims set forth below. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis is instead placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the drawings, like numbers are used to denote like parts throughout the drawings.
(0020) Preferred embodiments or aspects of the present invention are described by way of example only and reference is made to the drawings.
1 is a perspective view of a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view showing the drying apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 .
3 is a front view showing the drying apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIG.
4 is a perspective view showing an upper region of the drying apparatus of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 .
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an inner element of a part of the upper region of FIG. 4 ;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the airflow through the inner element of the upper region of Fig. 5;
7 shows the airflow through the inner element of the upper region from another direction;
8 is a view showing the connection between the flow generator and the first air outlet in the embodiment of the present invention.
9A is a view showing a connection between a flow generator and a first air outlet in another embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 9B is a rear perspective view showing the connection between one of the flow generators of Fig. 9A and the first air outlet;
10 is a cross-sectional view of the first air outlet taken along line A-A' of FIG. 3 .
Fig. 11A is a perspective view of the drying apparatus of Fig. 1 with a bar in a first position;
Fig. 11B is a perspective view of the drying apparatus of Fig. 1 with a bar in a second position;
12A is a perspective view showing a driving device for a drying device in an embodiment of the present invention.
12B is an enlarged perspective view of area A of FIG. 12A.
Fig. 12C is a bottom view of Fig. 12B;
12D is an exploded perspective view showing the fixing mechanism of the bar of the drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a perspective view showing a drying apparatus including an additional bar in an embodiment of the present invention.
14A is a perspective view showing a drive device for a drying apparatus according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 14B is an enlarged view of part B of FIG. 14A.
Fig. 14C is an exploded perspective view showing a part of the driving device of Figs. 14A to 14B;
15 is an upper perspective view showing a bar of the drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 16 is a bottom perspective view showing the bar of FIG. 15 .
17 is a rear perspective view showing a bar of another embodiment of the present invention.
18 is a partial perspective view showing various internal parts of the bar of FIGS. 15 to 17 in an embodiment of the present invention;
19 is an exploded perspective view showing various parts of the bar of FIGS. 15 to 18 in an embodiment of the present invention.
20 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
21A and 21B are views showing a user being dried with a bar of a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
22 is a flowchart for drying by a user by a controller according to an embodiment of the present invention.
23 and 24 are diagrams illustrating exemplary paths of a forced air flow that can be discharged from a bar in an embodiment of the present invention.
25A and 25B are views showing a part of the body showing that the bar is rotated in the embodiment of the present invention.
26A and 26B are views showing different rotational directions of the bar in the embodiment of the present invention.
27A through 27D are side views of a drying apparatus with varying airflow from the outlet of the bar of an embodiment of the present invention.
28A through 28F are diagrams illustrating various airflow configurations from the outlet of the bar of an embodiment of the present invention.
29 is a side view of a drying apparatus having a first bar and a second bar according to an embodiment of the present invention.
30 is a perspective view of a drying apparatus including a first bar and a second bar according to an embodiment of the present invention, each of the bars having a proximity sensor.
31 is a flowchart of a collision avoidance configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention.
32A through 32D are diagrams illustrating safety features of a bar according to an embodiment of the present invention.
33 is a flowchart for control of a temperature-humidity index (THI) by a controller according to an embodiment of the present invention.
34 is a flowchart for the control of the wind speed cooling index (Wind-Chill Index) by the controller according to an embodiment of the present invention.
35 is an exploded perspective view of the upper region of the drying apparatus showing the filter unit according to the embodiment of the present invention is disassembled.
36 is another exploded perspective view of the filter unit of FIG. 35 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
37 is a front view showing an air inlet and an inlet path in the flow generator housing according to an embodiment of the present invention.
38 is a partially exploded perspective view of the air inlet of FIG. 37;
39 is a front perspective view of an upper region of a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
40 is a perspective view of a drying apparatus according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention;
41 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B' of FIG. 40 .
42 is an exploded perspective view showing the components of a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(0069) One or more embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example shown in the accompanying drawings.

(0070) A drying apparatus according to the disclosure for various uses may be provided. In at least a primary application, the dryer may be a dryer for drying a person after a bath or shower. The dryer may be provided as a supplement to towel drying or as a substitute for towel drying in various preferred forms. By using the drying device as a body dryer, a person can be dried by one or more forced airflow of the drying device.

(0071) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of the drying apparatus, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the drying apparatus.

(0072) Referring to FIG. 1 , the drying apparatus 10 may include a body 100 and a bar 200 . Although the term 'bar' is used, 'bar' should not be construed as being limited to the shape of a bar, and may have various types of shapes according to design standards or intended results. The bar 200 may be driven with respect to the body 100 by a driving device, which will be described in more detail herein.

(0073) The drying device 10 may be sized to correspond to the dimensions of a human body. For example, in the configuration of the drying apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 , the drying apparatus 10 , and in particular the body 100 , is sized in proportion to the size of the human body to enable the transmission of forced air flow across the human body. can be

(0074) The forced air flow may be provided through the first air outlet 101 disposed along the edge of the body 100. The forced air flow may also be provided through the second air outlet 201 in the bar 200 . Unlike the first air outlet 101, which is fixed with respect to the body 100, the second air outlet 201 allows the bar 200 to provide a forced air flow to the body 100 to another part of the human body. ) moves along the longitudinal length L1.

(0075) The body 100 may define a drying side or a drying surface 14 adjacent to a part where the user is for drying by the drying device 10 . The drying surface 14 may generally define a surface or plane through which the forced air flow provided by the drying apparatus 10 through the first air outlet 101 and/or the second air outlet 201 is provided. can For example, FIG. 2 is a side view and FIG. 3 is a front view of the drying surface 14 .

(0076) For example, when the drying device 10 is provided within a confined space, such as a bathroom, it may be desirable for minimal space to be occupied by the drying device 10, and possibly, aesthetically. will be satisfied To this end, the portion including the drying surface 14 of the body 100 may be provided to protrude relatively less, as shown in the side view of FIG. 2 . This less protrusion can provide a slimmer shape.

(0077) In order to achieve such a slim shape, the bulky internal components of at least a part of the body are made of the body 100 so as not to prevent the part having the drying surface 14 from protruding less. It may be disposed on the side of the upper region (around the air inlet 102 shown in FIG. 2 ). The upper region of the body 100 may be located at or above the user's head. The upper region may include bulky elements such as flow generators, thermoelectric devices, flow guides, and the like. In another embodiment, the internal components of the body 100 may be disposed toward the lower region of the body 100 while being provided in the upper region of the body to have a minimized depth.

(0078) FIG. 4 is a detailed view of an exemplary upper region of the body 100. As shown in FIG. In particular, in FIG. 4 , the front cover of the upper region has been removed to expose the outlet of one of the two flow guides 116 adjacent to the filter unit 104 . The other air flow guide 116 is not visible in FIG. 4 , but may be disposed on the other side of FIG. 4 . The filter unit 104 opposes and/or cooperates with the flow guide 116 and is disposed in a space in the center of the body. The filter unit 104 may be replaceable or non-replaceable. The front cover (not shown in Fig. 4) can be removed to replace the old filter unit 104 with a new filter unit. FIG. 5 shows that the overlay has been removed to expose some internal components of the upper region of the body 100 shown in FIG. 4 .

(0079) Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 together, the upper region of the body 100 includes a pair of flow generators 110, a pair of flow guides 116, and a pair of thermoelectric devices 117 (this device is, (including, for example, a thermoelectric module, thermoelectric cooler, or other suitable device), a pair of air inlets 102 , the filter unit 104 , and a flow generator housing 103 surrounding the internal components. can do. One embodiment uses a thermoelectric device, a device that uses a thermoelectric effect such as the Peltier effect, while another embodiment uses a pump, compressor, and evaporator, resistance heating element, combustion or other chemical reaction to control temperature. This may include an air management or heat pump system. However, other types of air management devices may be used. According to one aspect, the upper region may be considered as an air management system of the body 100 .

In the illustrated embodiment (0080), a pair of flow generators 110 is used. In other embodiments, only one flow generator or a large number of flow generators may be used. The flow generator may be an axial fan or the like. Embodiments including multiple flow generators may cooperate to create a uniform airflow into the body 100 . Embodiments may also include generating independent airflow into the body 100 to vary the intensity of the airflow in various portions of the body 100 . In the present embodiment, external air may be received into the flow generator housing 103 by the operation of the pair of flow generators 110 through the pair of air inlets 102 . The pair of air inlets 102 provide an inlet point for external air to the body 100 .

(0081) As shown in FIG. 5, each flow generator 110 has its own air inlet 102, respectively. However, a single inlet 102 may be used with the pair of flow generators 110 . Alternatively, two or more air inlets may be used with the pair of flow generators.

(0082) The air entering the air inlet 102 is guided by the respective flow guides 116 positioned between the air inlet 102 and the filter unit 104. In this embodiment, each flow guide 116 has an outlet air flow path 105 ( 7) can be partially defined. More details of the flow path including the outlet air flow path 105 will be described in conjunction with the description of FIGS. 6 and 7 .

(0083) Since the present embodiment has been described as including a pair of flow guides 116 , the following description of one flow guide 116 also reflects the other flow guides of the pair of flow guides 116 . To this end, each flow guide 116 may have a curved shape as shown in FIG. 5 . One end of each flow guide 116 is connected to each air inlet 102 , and the other end is opened upstream of the filter unit 104 . The body of each flow guide 106 includes a curved inner surface and a curved outer surface. The curved inner surface faces the outlet air flow path 105 and forms part of the flow path between the downstream side of the filter unit 104 and each flow generator 110 .

(0084) Thus, each flow guide 116 forms a flow path between each air inlet 102 and the upstream portion of the filter unit 104 . In addition, each flow guide 116 forms, at least in part, a wall of a flow path between the downstream side of the filter unit 104 and each flow generator 110 . In this configuration, each of the flow guides 116 is capable of passing the air entering through the respective air inlets 102 and delivering the air to the filter unit 104 . The air passing through the filter unit 104 may flow to the outlet air flow path 105 through which the flow generator 110 sends air to the first air outlet 101 .

(0085) In the above configuration, each flow guide 116 may function to separate between the inlet side and the outlet side of the filter unit 104 . Each flow guide 116 may function to separate the air entering from the air inlet 102 from the purified air flowing toward the flow generator 110 .

(0086) In an alternative configuration, the flow guide 116 may not have both a function of guiding intake air to the filter unit and a function of guiding purified air between the flow generator and the filter unit outlet. For example, the air inlet 102 , the flow guide 116 , the filter unit 104 , and the flow generator 110 may be installed in a line or sequentially adjacent to each other. Here, each flow guide 116 can only transmit air between the air inlet 102 and the filter unit 104 .

(0087) A pair of thermoelectric devices 117 may be included in the upper region of the body 100 . Each thermoelectric device 117 may be, for example, a semiconductor device that heats or cools air using the Peltier effect. In alternative embodiments, other types of known thermal elements may be employed, such as heaters, coolers, or combinations thereof. For example, a refrigeration cycle having a compressor, an evaporator, and a condenser may be used to provide cooling and/or heating of the air. In another embodiment, a resistive heater may be used to provide heating of the air.

(0088) In this embodiment, there is a pair of thermoelectric devices 117 . Accordingly, the following description is for one thermoelectric device 117, and the other thermoelectric devices are the same. To this end, each thermoelectric device 117 has a first surface 118 and a second surface 119 . Depending on the direction of the current supplied to the thermoelectric device 117, one surface may be cooled or heated while the other surface may be heated or cooled, respectively. For example, when the first surface (ie, the outer surface) 118 is heated, the second surface (ie, the inner surface) 119 is heated. Conversely, when the first surface 118 is heated, the second surface 119 is cooled.

(0089) Each thermoelectric device 117 can heat or cool the air in the outlet air flow path 105 (see FIG. 7) passed through the filter unit 104. To facilitate this, the second surface 119 of the thermoelectric device 117 may be exposed to the outlet air flow path 105 . According to the operation mode of the thermoelectric device 117 , the second surface 119 may heat or cool the air passing through the outlet air flow path 105 . The heated or cooled air may be sucked into each flow generator 110 .

(0090) The processor may control the direction of the current flowing to the thermoelectric device 117 . For example, a voltage source connected to the thermoelectric device 117 may be connected to an analog-to-digital converter (A/D). The A/D converter may be adapted to generate a positive or negative value for controlling the voltage so that the current is applied to the thermoelectric device 117 . In another embodiment, the A/D converter may have a half of its output value corresponding to a negative current and a half corresponding to a positive current.

(0091) The exhaust port 130 may be located in the upper region of the body 100 when the thermoelectric device 117 is used in the drying device. 5 shows a pair of exhaust ports 130 associated with a pair of thermoelectric devices 117 included in the upper region of the body 100 . Each exhaust port 130 may be connected to one first surface 118 of each of the thermoelectric devices 117 . One or more vents 130 may be located in the upper region of the body.

(0092) When the thermoelectric device 117 operates as a heater, cold exhaust air may be discharged to the outside of the drying device 10 by the respective exhaust ports 130 . When the thermoelectric device 117 operates as a cooler, warm exhaust air may be discharged by the exhaust port 130 .

(0093) FIG. 6 shows an air flow passing through a portion of the upper region of the body 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 7 is another illustration of the airflow through a portion of the upper region of the body 100 . Since the air flow passing through the components of the upper region of the body 100 is similar to that of the other flow generators 110, one flow generator 110 will be described.

(0094) This embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 . When the flow generator 110 is operated, as indicated by the air flow arrows 106 and 107 in FIG. 7 , air is sucked in through the air inlet 102 and the filter unit 104 through the flow guide 116 . arrives at the front of The purified air is discharged through the sides of the filter unit (104).

(0095) The purified air, after exiting the filter unit 104, reaches the outlet air flow path 105 as indicated by the air flow arrow 108 in FIG. The purified air may be heated or cooled by the thermoelectric device 117 in the outlet air flow path 105 . Air from the thermoelectric device 117 may be exhausted through the outlet 130 as described above, and as indicated by the airflow arrow 131 . As indicated by the air flow arrow 108, heated or cooled air is sucked down by the flow generator 110 and pressurized by the flow generator 110, as indicated by the air flow arrow 109 in FIG. As shown, it goes to the first air outlet 101 .

(0096) The configuration of the air management system of the body 100 has been described above. The drying apparatus 10 having the above-described configuration may discharge cold or warm air in order to control the state of the space in which the drying apparatus is installed. The space may be a bathroom. During hot days, the dryer 10 can cool the bathroom. During cold days, the drying device 10 can warm the bathroom. The drying device may also use the air management system described herein to dry the user. For example, cold air or warm air pressurized by the flow generator 110 is supplied to the first air outlet 101 along the edge of the body from the drying surface 14 (see FIGS. 1-3). can be emitted by The user on the drying surface can be dried by the exhausted cold air or warm air.

(0097) FIG. 8 is a view showing a connection between the flow generator 110 and the first air outlet 101 of the body 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown (0098), the flow generator 110 provides an air flow to the duct 121 . The duct 121 guides the combined forced air flow through the common opening 125 to the first air outlet 101 of the body 100 . In this embodiment, the resistance heater 120 is disposed in the cavity opening 125 to further heat the forced air flow. This configuration can be used when the forced air flow heated from the flow generator 110 needs to be further heated before going to the air outlet 101 . For example, this configuration can be used when rapid heating of the bathroom is required or when additional heated forced airflow is required during drying of the user.

(0099) Although a resistive heater is shown in FIG. 8, any other suitable thermal element may be used. In other embodiments, the thermal element may be used to selectively heat or cool the airflow flowing out of the cavity opening 125 .

(0100) FIG. 9A shows the connection between the flow generator 110 and the first air outlet 101 of the body 100 in an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Unlike the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 , the outlet of each flow generator 110 is directly connected to the first air outlet 101 of the body 100 according to an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 9A . The first air outlet 101 includes an air opening 128 on the upper side of the first air outlet 101 . Each air opening 128 is directly connected to a respective outlet of one of the flow generators 110 . By having the outlet of each flow generator 110 directly connected to the first air outlet of the body 100 , the connection structure can be simplified and the forced air flow is directed to the first air outlet 101 . can be moved.

(0101) In this embodiment, the forced air flow may be stronger than the forced air flow shown in FIG. 8 . This is because in the forced air flow of FIG. 8, the vertical forced air flow of each flow generator flows in the horizontal direction by the duct 121 and collides with each other to form a single forced air flow. Then, the duct 121 allows the single forced air flow to flow vertically downward to the first air outlet 101 . In contrast, in the embodiment of FIG. 9A , the forced air flow of each flow generator directly flows vertically downward to the first air outlet 101 .

(0102) FIG. 9B is a rear perspective view showing the connection between one of the flow generators and the first air outlet of FIG. 9A. As shown in FIG. 9B , in this configuration, the flow generator 110 includes a fan assembly 1101 and a conduit 1102 . The fan assembly may be an axial fan or the like. More preferably, the fan assembly includes a high-speed motor capable of sucking in and discharging air at high speed. ^{For example, the fan assembly may include a smart inverter motor (Smart Inverter Motor TM} ) of LG Electronics of Korea that can operate up to 115,000 revolutions per minute (RPM). A similar fan assembly may be used.

(0103) The fan assembly 1101 is connected to a conduit 1102 , which may be a cylindrical tube connected to the first air outlet 101 . However, it goes without saying that the conduit 1102 is not limited to a cylindrical tube, and other configurations may be used, such as an elliptical tube, a square tube, a rectangular tube, and the like. The conduit 1102 includes air sucked in by the fan assembly 1101 within the range of the conduit 1102, and when the speed of the forced air flow cannot be maintained, the speed of the forced air flow discharged is measured by the fan assembly 1101. is increased by Accordingly, a relatively high velocity forced air flow is introduced into the first air outlet 101 .

(0104) FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of FIG. 3 further showing the first air outlet 101 of the body of the embodiment of the present invention. As partially illustrated, the first air outlet 101 is disposed along an edge of at least a portion of the body 100 . In this embodiment, the first air outlet 101 actually follows the shape of the edge of the drying surface 14 of the body 100 (see FIG. 3 ). However, one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the air outlet 101 may take on any one of a number of different configurations. For example, in an alternative embodiment, the first air outlet 101 has a plurality of slits positioned vertically and/or horizontally across the drying surface 14 (see, eg, FIG. 40 ). can be composed of

(0105) Referring back to FIG. 10 , the first air outlet 101 according to the present embodiment includes a duct 122 , a vent 126 , and a pin 127 . The duct 122 receives the forced air flow from the upper region of the body 100 and transmits the forced air flow along the edge of the body 100 .

(0106) The duct 122 extends along the edge of the body 100 and is in a vent 126 viewable from the drying face 14 of the body 100 (see FIGS. 1 and 3). connected The forced air flow exits the body 100 through the vent 126 . The pin 127 may be disposed in the vent 126 extending along the edge of the body 100 and divides the space formed by the vent 126 into two. The pin 127 may help guide the forced air flow out of the vent 126 . In this embodiment, the pin 127 is fixed to the vent 126 and guides the forced air flow outward and straight in one direction.

(0107) In an alternative embodiment, the pin may be adapted to move left or right to guide the forced airflow exiting the body 100 in a left or right direction, as desired. For example, the pin on the left side of the body 100 can move in the right direction so that at least a portion of the forced air flow can converge inward toward the center with respect to the body 100 , and the right side of the body 100 . The pin on the left can be moved in the left direction. Conversely, the pin on the left side of the body 100 can move in the left direction so that at least a part of the forced air flow branches outward from the center with respect to the body 100 , and the pin on the right side of the body 100 is can move to the right.

(0108) So far, the body 100 of the drying apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described. The drying device 10 may include a bar 200 capable of providing a forced air flow. The bar 200 is movable relative to the body 100 , as mentioned above.

(0109) Figures 11A and 11B show the bar 200 in two separate driving positions along the longitudinal length L1 of the body 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(0110) The bar 200 may be driven by a driving device to be described later to move along the longitudinal length L1 of the body 100 . The moving range of the bar 200 may be fixed to match the longitudinal length L1 of the body 100 or, alternatively, may be adjusted to more closely match the height of a specific user. That is, when the user is positioned adjacent to the drying surface 14 in the drying device 10 , the user's required length (eg, key) is reduced by the movement of the bar 200 to the second air. The outlet 201 may be covered by airflow for drying. For example, the bar 200 may move from the upper position shown in FIG. 11A to the lower position shown in FIG. 11B while discharging the forced air flow from the second air outlet 201 (repeat if desired). Thus), the distance moving between the positions of the bar 200 in FIGS. 11A and 11B may correspond to the height of the user.

(0111) FIG. 12A is a view showing a driving device of the bar 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 12B is an enlarged view of the driving device shown in section A of Fig. 12A. Fig. 12C is a bottom perspective view of the driving device shown in Fig. 12B, and Fig. 12D is a view showing an exemplary fixing mechanism 210 of the bar 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(0112) Referring to FIGS. 12A and 12B , the driving device 11 drives the bar 200 with respect to the body 100 . The driving device 11 may be located on the body 100 . According to this exemplary embodiment, the driving device 11 includes a lead screw 40, a nut 41, and a motor 50 (see Fig. 13). is formed and may have a length corresponding to the longitudinal length L1 of the drying surface 14 of the body 100 . The motor 50 may be located in the upper region of the body 100 . However, in the motor 50, the nut 41 according to the rotation direction of the lead screw 40, the lead screw 40 along the longitudinal length L1 of the drying surface of the body 100. It may be located at any position as long as the motor 50 can rotate the lead screw 40 to move up and down. The shaft of the motor 50 may be coupled to one end of the lead screw 40 (eg, an upper end of the lead screw 40 ). Accordingly, when the motor rotates the shaft clockwise, the lead screw 40 rotates clockwise. When the motor 50 rotates the shaft counterclockwise, the lead screw 40 rotates counterclockwise.

(00113) Referring to FIGS. 12B and 12C , the nut 41 is screwed to correspond to the thread of the lead screw 40 and is coupled to the lead screw 40 . The nut 41 is fixed to the bar 200 . In this embodiment, the nut 41 is fixed to the bracket assembly 44 on which the bar 200 is mounted. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that other configurations for securing the nut 41 to the bar 200 , directly or indirectly, are possible. When the lead screw 40 is rotated by the motor 50 , the nut 41, in turn, moves up and down on the lead screw 40 to move the bar 200 up and down.

(00114) For example, when the motor 50 rotates the lead screw 40 clockwise, the nut 41 moves above the lead screw 40, and in turn the bar 200 moves upward relative to and along the longitudinal length of the body 100 . On the other hand, when the motor 50 rotates the lead screw 40 counterclockwise, the nut 41 moves downward of the lead screw 40, and in turn turns the bar 200 into the It moves down relative to and along the longitudinal length of the body 100 .

(00115) In another example, when the motor 50 rotates the lead screw 40 clockwise, the nut 41 moves to a lower portion of the lead screw 40, and in turn, the bar ( 200) relative to and along the longitudinal length of the body 100 downward. When the motor 50 rotates the lead screw 40 in the counterclockwise direction, the nut 41 moves to the upper part of the lead screw 40, and in turn, the bar 200 rotates the body ( 100) and move upwards along the longitudinal length.

(00116) Referring to FIGS. 12C and 12D, the bracket assembly 44 includes one or more guide members 45 for movement along one or more corresponding guide tracks 46 of the body 100. can have In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13 , the double guide track is used and includes guide tracks 46 extending perpendicularly to both sides of the body 100 . Together with this, the guide member 45 and the guide track 46 guide the bar 200 along a predetermined vertical path.

(00117) For example, the guide member 45 and guide track 46 hold the bar 200 against rotational motion about a longitudinal axis that may result from rotation of the leadscrew 40. can be operated to The double guide track 46 may also provide stability to the bar 200 when moving up and down along the body 100 .

(00118) In this embodiment, the bar 200 may include a fixing mechanism 210 for fixing to the guide member 45 of the bracket assembly 44 . The fixing mechanism 210 is provided at both ends of the bar 200 in this embodiment. The guide member 45 may include a space 47 having a shape corresponding to the shape of the fixing mechanism 210 . When the bar 200 is mounted on the bracket assembly 44 , the fixing mechanism 210 slides into the space 47 of the guide member 45 , whereby the fixing mechanism 210 moves into the bracket assembly 44 . It is mounted on the guide member (45).

(00119) The fixing mechanism 210 may include one or more protrusions 212 protruding from the side of the fixing mechanism 210 . The one or more protrusions 212 may be elastically deformable or may be spring loaded. When the fixing mechanism 210 is fully inserted into the space 47 of the guide member 45 , the one or more protrusions 212 attach the bar 200 to the bracket assembly 44 . It can be hung in one or more corresponding slots in the space 47 for this purpose.

(00120) The fixing mechanism 210 may provide easy separation of the bar 200 from the bracket assembly 44 . Since the protrusion 212 is elastically deformable or contains a spring, the bar 200 can be separated from the body 100 by applying a sufficient force. The bar 200 can be replaced with other bars 200 and can be serviced without the need to take the entire dryer 10 for maintenance.

(00121) An embodiment of a drive device using a lead screw and a nut has been described. In another exemplary configuration, the bar 200 may be driven on the body 100 by components other than the lead screw and the nut. In practice, any suitable drive capable of providing the required relative motion may be used. For example, the leadscrew and nut may be replaced by a rack and pinion system, a pulley and belt drive, or a linear actuator if the desired motion is a linear motion.

(00122) FIG. 13 is a front view showing a drying apparatus including a bar 200 and a second bar 300 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

(00123) Referring to FIG. 13 , the drying apparatus 10 may include a bar 200 and a second bar 300 . The second bar 300 may include a third air outlet 301 , and may be movably driven with respect to the body 100 . The second bar 300 may be connected to its own nut 43 , and the nut 43 may be connected to its own lead screw 42 . The nut 43 is fixed to its own bracket assembly 48 so that the second bar 300 can be driven relative to the body 100 . The leadscrew 42 may be driven by its own motor 52 . Components related to the driving of the second bar 300, and their functions, are similar to those described above with respect to the bar 200, and thus, further descriptions are omitted to avoid overlapping descriptions.

(00124) Based on the configuration of the exemplary embodiment described above, it is readily conceivable by those skilled in the art that even more bars may be employed in the drying apparatus 10 . The driving device 11 may be modular to accommodate a plurality of bars in the body 100 .

(00125) As shown in FIG. 13 , for example, the bar 200 is associated with its own motor 50 , leadscrew 40 , nut 41 , and bracket assembly 44 . By the operation of the motor 50 , the lead screw 40 , and the nut 41 , the bar 200 moves up and down with respect to the body 100 . Similarly, the second bar 300 is associated with its own motor 52 , leadscrew 42 , nut 43 , and bracket assembly 48 . The second bar 300 moves up and down with respect to the body 100 by the operation of the motor 52 , the lead screw 42 , and the nut 43 . The motor, leadscrew, nut and bracket assembly associated with one bar does not operate on the other bar. That is, the motor, leadscrew, nut, and bracket assembly of one bar operates only with respect to that bar.

(00126) Thus, for each additional bar, a corresponding motor, leadscrew, nut and bracket assembly can be added to the drive for receiving that bar. In this way, the drying apparatus 10 may be configured to have a plurality of bars on the body 100 according to the user's preference. Alternatively, each drive may receive one or more bars spaced apart from each other and moving together along the longitudinal length of the body.

(00127) FIG. 13 shows the bar 200 and the second bar 300 using the same guide track(s). In an exemplary alternative configuration, the bar 200 and the second bar 300 may use separate guide tracks. With this configuration, the bar 200 or the second bar 300 moves to a desired position along the range of its own driving path, regardless of the position of the bar 200 or the second bar 300 . can be operated.

(00128) FIG. 14A is a view showing a driving device having a rack and pinion driving assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 14B is an enlarged view of the rack and pinion driving assembly of part B, and FIG. 14C is a diagram of FIG. 14B It is an exploded perspective view of the rack and pinion driving assembly.

(00129) Referring to FIGS. 14A, 14B, and 14C, the bar 200 is driven by a driving device 11 having a rack and pinion assembly to move up and down along the extended height of the body 100. have. The rack and pinion assembly may include a rack 54 , a stepper motor 55 , and a pinion gear 56 coupled to the stepper motor 55 . The rack 54 may be positioned vertically along the side of the body 100 . However, the rack 54 may be installed in any position of the body 100 . For example, the rack 54 may be located in the longitudinal direction at the center of the body 100 . In another embodiment, the rack 54 may be positioned perpendicular to the side of the body 100 .

(00130) In this embodiment, the rack 54 extends vertically along the side of the body 100 and has a length covering the stroke (longitudinal length L1, see FIG. 1 ) of the bar 200 . have The rack 54 may be located only on one side of the body 100 . In this embodiment, the rack 54 is located on both sides of the body 100 . Having racks 54 on both sides of the body 100 may allow the bar 200 to move more stably along the body 100 .

(00131) The bar 200 may include guide members 45 installed at both ends of the bar 200 . In another embodiment, the bar 200 may use only one guide member 45 to correspond to a drying apparatus using a single rack 54 . In this embodiment, the bar 200 includes two guide members 45 at both ends of the bar 200 . The guide track 46 is positioned above the rack 54 as shown in FIG. 14C and has a length to cover the movement stroke of the bar 200 . 14C shows that the guide track 46 is installed on top of a rack 54 on the left side of the body 100, with another guide track 46 on the right side of the body 100 on the right side of the rack. It is similarly installed on top of (54).

The stepper motor 55 including the (00132) pinion gear 56 may be installed in each guide member 45 . The shaft of the stepper motor 55 passes through the hole 49 in the guide member 45 and is positioned parallel to the rack 54 in the slit 57 of the guide track 46 . enter to combine with The rack 54 may include a plurality of teeth along the surface of the rack 54 , for example, one surface of the rack 54 , a length corresponding to the stroke distance of the bar 200 . covers the The pinion gear 56 of the stepper motor 55 meshes with the teeth of the rack 54 to move the bar 200 along the rack 54 .

(00133) The stepper motor 55 drives the movement of the bar 200 with respect to the body 100 . For example, when the stepper motor 55 rotates clockwise, the bar 200 may move downward with respect to the rack 54 . When the stuffer motor 55 rotates counterclockwise, the bar 200 may move upward with respect to the rack 54 . During the movement of the bar 200 , the guide tracks 46 on both sides of the body 100 can guide the movement of the bar 200 and follow a predetermined path with respect to the body 100 . The bar 200 is maintained.

(00134) In this embodiment, one stepper motor 55 may be installed on one guide member 45 to move the bar 200, and the other guide member 45 serves only as a guide. There is no stepper motor installed there. Another rack 54 may be installed on the other side of the body 100 and may include a plurality of teeth. In this configuration, a freely rotating pinion gear may be provided on the other guide member 45 to engage the teeth of the other rack 54 . Having two guide members 45 working together with the two racks 54 can provide equal support at both ends of the bar 200 . In another configuration, the two pinion gears 56 are united with each other and can be operated by one stepper motor 55 . Alternatively, two stepper motors 55 may be used to drive each pinion gear 56 .

(00135) FIG. 15 is a top perspective view of the bar 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 16 is a bottom perspective view of the bar 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 17 is the alternative shown in FIG. 16 . It is a rear perspective view of the bar 200 according to the general configuration.

(00136) Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, the bar 200 provides a forced air flow at a different position corresponding to the body 10 according to the position of the bar 200 with respect to the body 100. A first air outlet 201 may be included. As described above with respect to the drive device 11 between the bar 200 and the body 100 , the two guide members 45 guide the bar 200 in its movement relative to the body 100 . can guide you

(00137) One or more air inlets 205 may be located at the end of the bar 200 . The air inlet 205 may be protected in a cavity formed between the end of the bar 200 and the shield 206 . The shield 206 may extend from the end of the bar 200 to form a shield on its top and side surfaces except for the bottom surface. The open bottom surface of the shield 206 allows the air inlet 205 to access the intake air. This configuration is operable to prevent water from entering the air inlet 205 by falling or splashing. The air inlet 205 supplies intake air to enter the shopping bar 200 accommodating one or more flow generators 204 (see FIG. 18).

(00138) FIG. 17 shows two air inlets 202 located at the rear end of the bar 200 for supplying air discharged from the second air outlet 201 . In contrast, in the configuration of FIG. 16 , as described above, the air inlets 205 are located at each end of the bar 200 . As the bar 200 extends laterally toward the user, it may be more prone to getting wet than the body 100 because the bar 200 is closer to the user. Accordingly, it may be desirable for one or more air inlets 202 to be positioned away from the user. As such, in the configuration of FIG. 17 , the air inlet 202 is provided at the rear side of the bar 200 , as described above.

(00139) FIG. 18 is a partial perspective view showing various inner parts of the bar 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In particular, FIG. 18 shows a pair of flow generators 204 and a bar 200 with its cover removed to expose an air conduit 207 . The bar 200 may include a pair of flow generators 204 that receive the intake air from the air inlet 202 and generate a forced air flow through the air conduit 207 . The air conduit 207 may include an intermediate outlet 208 through which the forced air flow passes and is discharged by the second air outlet 201 .

(00140) FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view showing various parts of the bar 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention described above with respect to FIG. 18 .

19, the bar 200 includes a pair of flow generators 204, a pair of motors 220, a pair of thermal devices (eg, resistance heaters, thermoelectric devices, and other suitable devices). may be used), and its cover 230 separated to reveal the various internal components including the air conduit 207 . The bar 200 has a flow generator 204 that receives intake air from one or more air inlets (see FIGS. 15 and 16). generate airflow. For example, the flow generator may be a smart inverter motor that sucks in and discharges air at a high speed by operating at a maximum of 115,000 RPM. However, other types of axial fan assemblies may be used.

(00142) The forced air flow from the pair of flow generators 204 passes through the air conduit 207 to be discharged from the intermediate outlet 208. The air conduit 207 is shown in a cylindrical shape, but the shape is not limited thereto, and an oval tube, a square tube, a rectangular tube, etc. may be used. The air conduit 207 has air sucked in by the pair of flow generators 204 within the range of the air conduit 207, and when the velocity of the forced air flow cannot be maintained, the pair of flow generators 204 increase the velocity of the forced air flow discharged by the Accordingly, a relatively high-speed forced air flow is introduced into the intermediate outlet 208 . The discharged air is eventually discharged to the outside of the second air outlet (201). Although this embodiment is illustrated as using a pair of flow generators, one flow generator or two or more flow generators may be used in other configurations.

(00143) In this embodiment, a pair of resistance heaters 120 are shown as components of the bar 200 . Resistance heaters 120 are located downstream of each flow generator 204 . In alternative embodiments, the resistance heater may be located upstream of the flow generator or may be integral to the flow generator. In this embodiment, the flow generator 204 and the resistance heater 120 may be at least partially enclosed within the air conduit 207 (see FIG. 18 ). The air conduit 207 is the resistance The air heated by the heater 120 may be guided toward the intermediate outlet 208 and may be discharged through the second air outlet 201 .

(00144) While this embodiment uses a resistance heater to heat the intake air flow, in other exemplary embodiments, for example, a thermoelectric device using the Peltier effect may be used to heat or cool the intake air flow. have. In this configuration, the bar 200 is not limited to discharging heated air, but may also discharge cold air.

(00145) The bar 200 may further include one or more motors 220 . 19 , one or more motors 220 may be positioned along the longitudinal axis of the bar 200 , which may be parallel to the drying surface 14 of the body 100 . The one or more motors 220 may cause the bar 200 to tilt up and down by rotating about its longitudinal axis. By tilting the bar 200 up and down, the bar 200 can expand an area to which a forced air flow can be applied. In addition, by continuously tilting the bar 200 up and down while blowing a forced air flow, the bar can improve drying performance.

(00146) FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the drying apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The controller 53 controls the overall operation of the drying apparatus 10 . The controller 53 may be a microprocessor, an integrated circuit, an electric circuit, a logic electric circuit, or the like.

(00147) The controller 53 can control the operation of the flow generator 110 and the thermoelectric device 117 of the body 100, and the controller 53 is associated with the flow generator 204 and the bar. It is possible to control the operation of the resistance heater 120 , and above all, it is possible to control the motor 220 . Various operations performed by the components have been described above, and further descriptions are omitted. The controller 53 may store and access information in the memory 58 to control the operation of the drying apparatus 10 .

(00148) The drying apparatus (10) may include one or more sensors (209) that are also controlled by the controller (53). The sensor 209 may be variously associated with the body 100 and bar 200 (eg, FIGS. 12C and 16 ). In some embodiments, one or more sensors 209 may It may be located remote from the device 10 .

(00149) According to various embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 12C and 16 , for example, the one or more sensors 209 may be associated with the bar 200 . The controller 53 may receive sensing information from one or more sensors 209 of the bar 200 and the controller 53 may operate the drying apparatus 10 using the sensor information as an operating parameter. can

As an example (00150), sensing information of one or more sensors may be used by the controller 53 to determine various characteristics and/or user conditions and/or various characteristics of the environment surrounding the device. For example, the sensory information may include the presence of the user, the user's physical characteristics, including overall and/or specific dimensions of the user, the degree of wetness of the user's body and/or other parts of the body, in particular the temperature of the surrounding air or It can be used to determine heat and/or humidity of the surrounding air. To achieve this, the drying device 10 may include one or more sensors 209 described below.

(00151) The one or more sensors 209 may include a thermal sensor, such as an infrared sensor. The infrared sensor may be used to obtain information about ambient heat. For example, the infrared sensor may be used as a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of ambient air. Information about the ambient air temperature can be obtained to determine whether to condition the ambient air.

(00152) The infrared sensor may be used for the user's body located adjacent to the drying device (10). The information from the infrared sensor can be used to infer or determine the humidity level of the user's body and/or specific parts of the user's body. The information from the infrared sensor may be used to obtain an indicator for the entire body of the user, wherein the temperature of the ambient air and body temperature are different.

(00153) The one or more sensors 209 may include a proximity sensor. The proximity sensor may be used to determine the user's proximity to the drying device (10). For example, the information from the proximity sensor may be used to determine the user's distance from the drying surface of the drying apparatus 10 . When the user is within a predetermined distance from the drying surface 14 , the drying device may be operated to dry the user. The information from the proximity sensor may be used to adjust the velocity of the forced airflow from the air outlet 101 and/or the air outlet 201 according to the distance of the user, in order to obtain a desired velocity of the forced airflow towards the user. .

(00154) The proximity sensor may be used to determine if the user is too close to the dryer or part thereof. For example, for safety reasons, it may be desirable to limit or prevent movement of the bar 200 when a person is within or at a specific position relative to the bar. This may include a case where a part of the person's body is above or below the bar 200, or within the path of its movement.

(00155) The one or more sensors 209 may include an image sensor. The image sensor may be used to obtain image information of the surroundings, to determine the presence of a user, and to determine the dimensions of the entire body of the user and/or a specific part of the user's body. The image sensor may be used in conjunction with or instead of a thermal sensor for information as mentioned above to obtain more accurate information.

(00156) The one or more sensors 209 may include a humidity sensor. The humidity sensor may be used to obtain information about the humidity level of the surrounding air, for example, the humidity level of the bathroom in which the drying device is installed. The drying device 10 may be used or operated to remove moisture from the air until the humidity level is below a predetermined level. The humidity sensor may also be used to obtain information on the level of wetness/dryness of the user's skin. This information can be used to adjust the heat applied to the forced air stream so that the user's skin does not become too dry.

(00157) In addition to the exemplary sensor described above, other sensors known in the art may be used to achieve the desired results.

(00158) FIGS. 21A and 21B are diagrams showing that the user is dried by the bar 200 of the drying apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

(00159) Referring to FIGS. 21A and 21B , the bar 200 includes a sensor 209 , which may be a thermal sensor positioned to face the user when the user is on the drying surface 14 of the body 100 . do. The bar 200 may be located at any position along the longitudinal length L1 of the drying surface 14 of the body 100, and in this embodiment, the starting position of the bar 200 is the drying surface ( 14) can be anywhere adjacent to the central part. When the drying device 10 is operated, the bar 200 may be driven upward in the direction of the arrow 1 by the driving device 11 . At the same time, the thermal sensor is also operated.

(00160) As the bar 200 is driven upward, the L-sensor scans the user. When the thermal sensor no longer detects heat from the user, the height of the user is determined by the reached and the driving device 11 may stop the movement of the bar 200 . The drive device 11 can now move the bar 200 downward in the direction of the arrow 2 . At the same time, the thermal sensor scans the user. The thermal sensor may detect the degree of wetness in the part of the user being scanned. The thermal sensor may measure the degree of wetting at a lower temperature and detect the degree of drying as a warmer temperature. The flow generator 204 and possibly the resistance heater 120 can be operated to dry the user.

(00161) In another configuration, the flow generator 110 and possibly the thermoelectric device 117 can be operated to dry the user. The flow generator 110 and the thermoelectric device 117 may be operated together with the operation of the flow generator 204 and the resistance heater 120 of the bar 200 . The flow generator 110 and the thermoelectric device 117 can be operated continuously until the bar 200 reaches the bottom of the drying surface 14 and then the flow generator 110 and the thermoelectric device ( 117) can be turned off.

(00162) As shown in FIG. 21B, the bar 200 may be positioned next to the user's head. Since hair generally retains a lot of water, the thermal sensor can detect significant wetness when the bar 200 is in this position. Accordingly, the bar 200 is heated to dry the user's hair and may not move while the forced air flow is discharged from the second air outlet 201 . When the thermal sensor detects that the user's hair is sufficiently dry, the driving device 11 may move downward in the direction of the arrow 2 .

(00163) As the bar 200 moves downward in the direction of the arrow 2, the heated forced air flow discharged from the air outlet 201 may dry the head, body, and eventually the legs. . As the bar 200 moves from the head to the legs, until the bar 200 reaches the bottom of the drying surface 14, before moving further downward in the direction of the arrow 2, The bar can be stopped to dry the wetter part of the user.

(00164) In another embodiment, after the bar 200 initially arrives at the user's head, the user may repeatedly move up and down from head to toe until the thermal sensor detects that the user is dry. The movement of the bar described is exemplary and other forms of movement of the bar for building the user are conceivable.

(00165) FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing an exemplary method for drying a user by the controller in an embodiment of the present invention.

(00166) Referring to FIG. 22 , in step S100 , the controller 53 moves the bar 200 upward with respect to the body 100 . The controller 53 also receives thermal information from the thermal sensor. In step S110, the controller 53 determines whether the thermal sensor detects heat. If the thermal sensor detects heat, the controller 53 continues to move the bar 200 upward in step S100. Alternatively, if the thermal sensor does not detect heat, the controller 53 assumes that the bar 200 has reached the user's height and stops the movement of the bar 200 and continues step S120 .

(00167) In step S120 , the controller 53 moves the bar 200 downward by a predetermined amount equal to the width of the user's body covered by the forced air flow from the bar 200 . In step S130 , the controller 53 operates the flow generator 204 . At this stage, the controller 53 can operate the flow generator 110 and possibly the thermoelectric device 117 . Therefore, the forced air flow from the air outlet 201 can dry the corresponding portion of the user adjacent to the bar 200 . In addition, the forced air flow from the air outlet 101 can help the user to dry. Therefore, the controller 53 continues with step S140.

(00168) In step S140, the controller 53 determines whether the heat sensor has sensed heat equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. The predetermined amount may indicate that the user's portion is sufficiently dry. If the heat sensor detects heat less than a predetermined amount, the controller 53 continues to step S130, where the controller 53 continues to dry the corresponding user's part. Otherwise, the controller 53 continues with step S150.

(00169) In step S150, the controller 53 determines whether the bottom of the drying surface 14 of the body 100 has arrived. If the bar 200 has not reached the bottom of the drying surface 14 , the controller 53 continues step S120 , and repeats steps S120 to S140 . Otherwise, if the bar 200 has reached the bottom of the drying surface 14 , the controller 53 turns off the flow generator 204 and the resistance heater 120 . If the flow generator 110 and the thermoelectric device 117 have been operated, the controller 53 turns them off as well.

(00170) FIGS. 23 and 24 show that, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, pressurized air is discharged from the second air outlet 201 based on the shape and/or size of the second air outlet 201 . It is a diagram illustrating an example manner in which it may be

(00171) The second air outlet 201 may be configured to cover the width of the user as the bar 200 moves up and down along the height of the user so that the discharged air flow can cover the width of the user. The bar 200 may have a suitable secondary air outlet 201 capable of directing a forced airflow across the entire width of the user.

(00172) Referring to FIG. 23, more specifically, the second air outlet 201 may be configured to provide a forced air flow that spreads laterally. As the forced air flow flows further away from the second air outlet 201, the forced air flow expands to further cover at least the width of the user's body in the horizontal direction. An example of a structure for forming an expansion of a forced air flow is shown in FIG. 19 .

(00173) The intermediate outlet 208 of the air conduit 207 may be a circular, elliptical or quadrilateral air outlet so as to exhaust the forced air flow when the air flow further flows from the second air outlet 201. . For example, the circular air outlet may be formed to be relatively narrow, but may create a relatively strong forced air flow over a small area of the user's body. The rectangular air outlet can be made relatively wider but can create a weaker forced air flow over a larger area of the user's body.

(00174) The angle at which the forced air flow is discharged may be determined by the angle of the arc at the intermediate outlet 208 . For example, a narrow arc can create a narrow but strong airflow that covers a small portion of the user's body. A wider arc creates a wider but weaker airflow that covers a larger portion of the user's body. The shape and arc angle of the intermediate outlet 208 can be selected according to the desired effect of the forced air flow on the user's body.

(00175) Referring now to FIG. 24 , the second air outlet 201 has a longitudinal length of the bar 200 (in the lateral direction with respect to the longitudinal length of the body) to discharge the outlet air in the form of a flat blade. may be a slit to extend across In one configuration, the length of the slit may be sufficient to cover the width of the user's body. In this configuration, the bar 200 vertically moves up and/or down with respect to the body 100, so that the forced air flow of the second air outlet 201 can cover all parts of the user's body. . For this configuration, the intermediate outlet 208 may be formed as an elongated slot formed across the longitudinal length of the air conduit 207 . As shown in FIG. 24 , the second air outlet 201 which is an extended slit corresponds to the slit of the intermediate outlet 208 .

(00176) FIGS. 25A and 25B are two views showing a portion of a drying apparatus showing a bar 200 having a second air outlet 201 and a portion of the body 100 . The direction of the second air outlet 201 of the bar 200 may be changed based on drying needs. For example, the second air outlet 201 may be selectively turned about a substantially horizontal axis by rotating at least a portion of the bar 200 in the direction of arrow 213, as shown in FIG. 25B. and, thereby, the opening angle of the second air outlet 201 in a relatively downward direction is adjusted. The bar 200 may be rotated by a pair of motors 220 positioned at both ends of the bar 200 (see FIG. 19). However, the present embodiment is not limited thereto, and the bar ( 200), other devices may be used. Control may optionally be provided by a controller, such as controller 53 (see FIG. 20) described above.

(00177) FIGS. 26A and 26B are side views showing the rotational motion of the bar 200 . 26A shows the rotation of the bar 200 and the second air outlet 201 in the downward direction as indicated by the arrow 213, and the downward discharge of the forced air flow from the air outlet 201 is indicated by the arrow 215. is shown by FIG. 26B has the same configuration as FIG. 26A, but shows upward rotation of the bar 200 and the second air outlet 201, as indicated by arrow 214, and shows the forced airflow from the air outlet 201. The upward discharge is shown by arrow 215 .

(00178) A sensor 221 located on the bar 200 may be used to detect wetness of an area. For example, the sensor 221 may be a thermal sensor and detect a wet area based on a temperature difference between a wet area and a dry area, and the forced air flow 215 may be applied to the sensing of the sensor 221 . based on the wet area can be directed. The sensor 221 may be aligned in the direction of the forced air flow 215 , and may detect the dryness of the area dried by the forced air flow 215 . Once the sensor 221 senses that the area is dry, the forced airflow 215 can be directed to another area to be dried. For example, when the sensor 221 is a thermal sensor, an increase in the temperature of an area may indicate that the area is dry. Based on the sensing of the sensor 221 , the forced airflow 215 may systematically or randomly direct other areas until that area is partially or wholly dry to a desired degree.

(00180) In another exemplary embodiment, the forced air stream 215 may be static relative to the area to be dried or the forced air stream 215 may rotate with one or more oscillation patterns of motion. For example, the forced airflow 215 may rotate repeatedly between the positions shown in FIGS. 26A and 26B. The direction of the forced airflow 215 to cover some area or the entire area to be dried, for example the entire body of the user, is a static airflow from the bar 200, while being static in the vertical direction and between multiple positions. to be achieved by repeated rotation of the bar 200 in the can

(00181) Although the rotation of the bar 200 and the second air outlet 201 about a substantially horizontal axis is shown in FIGS. 25A, 25B, 26A and 26B, the bar 200 and the second air outlet 201 ) may additionally or alternatively be rotated about one or more other axes to control the direction of forced airflow 215 to achieve a desired level of drying of the area to be dried. For example, the bar 200 and the second air outlet 201 may be rotated about two or three axes selected from a plurality of horizontal and vertical axes.

(00182) Figures 27A and 27B are side views of drying apparatus 10 with secondary air outlets 201 oriented in two different directions. As shown in FIG. 27A, the second air outlet 201 is positioned so that the forced air flow 215 is horizontally directed outward in the drying apparatus. According to various embodiments, the second air outlet 201 may be controlled such that, for example, the forced air flow 215 is turned upward in the direction of arrow 214 and/or downward in the direction of arrow 213 . . This movement of the second air outlet 201 can be used to blow a forced air flow over a large area. The device of FIG. 27B has the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 27A, but the direction of the first air outlet 201 is changed to face downward in the direction of arrow 213. As shown in FIG. Alternatively, when the second air outlet 201 is directed downward, the forced air flow 215 is discharged. Then, the second air outlet 201 is redirected to its original position. This movement of the second air outlet 201 may be used to perform a sweeping operation.

In addition to redirecting upwards and/or downwards (00183) or about one or more other axes, in some exemplary embodiments forced airflow 215 may, as shown in FIGS. 27C and 27D , It can optionally be extended.

(00184) The second air outlet 201 in FIG. 27C is substantially similar to the second air outlet 201 shown in FIG. 27A. However, the second air outlet 201 in Fig. 27C is configured to be jet-like with little or no extension angle in the vertical or horizontal direction. Alternatively, the second air outlet 201 may be configured to provide a greater degree of expansion of the forced air flow 215 . For example, as shown in FIG. 27D, the forced airflow 215 may be expanded in a fan-like configuration. In the configuration of FIGS. 27C and 27D, the angle at which the forced air flow 215 spreads can be determined by the angle of the arc at the intermediate air outlet 208 (see FIGS. 18 and 19). For example, a narrow arc can create a narrow but strong airflow that covers a narrow portion of the area. A wider arc can create a wider but weaker airflow that covers a larger area. The shape of the intermediate outlet 208 and the angle of the arc may be selected, for example, depending on the effect of the forced air flow required on the user's body. In one configuration, the intermediate outlet 208 can be formed with an adjustable nozzle so that the angle of the arc at the intermediate outlet 208 can be adjusted, whereby, depending on the angle of the arc, a jet-type forced air flow or a fan-type forced air flow is generated. can be emitted. A motor under the control of the controller 53 can be used to adjust the adjustable nozzle.

(00185) Forced airflow 215 may additionally or alternatively extend laterally and may have further characteristics, as shown in FIGS. 28A and 28B .

(00186) As shown in FIG. 28A, the second air outlet 201 may be located on the bar 200, and the forced air flow 215 may be at least lateral from the second air outlet 201. direction can be extended. This provides a forced air flow 215 that increases in the width direction with an increased distance from the bar 200 , and the width of the forced air flow 215 becomes larger than the width of the second air outlet 201 .

(00187) As shown in FIG. 28B, the lateral expansion and contraction of the forced airflow 215 may be controlled. The forced airflow 215 may be controlled to change direction to the left and/or right as shown by arrows 216 and 217 in FIG. 28B. The direction of the air flow may be controlled by the movement of the nozzle or may be controlled by a flow guide or an integrated pin in the nozzle. For example, the nozzle at the intermediate outlet 208 may move in a left and/or right direction. A motor under the control of the controller 53 can be used to move the adjustable nozzle left and right.

(00188) As shown in FIGS. 28C and 28D, the second air outlet 201 may be an extended slit transverse to the longitudinal direction of the bar 200, so that the forced air flow is substantially planar. can In one configuration, the length of the slit may be sufficient to cover the width of the user's body. For this configuration, the intermediate outlet 208 may be formed as an elongated slit along the longitudinal length of the air conduit 207 . The second air outlet 201 having an extended slit as shown in FIG. 28C corresponds to the slit of the intermediate outlet 208 . In this configuration, as the bar 200 moves up and/or down in the vertical direction with respect to the body 100 , the forced air flow 215 of the second air outlet 201 corresponds to the length of the slit. It can cover the width of the area to be used.

(00189) The forced air flow 215 may be configured to emerge from the second air outlet 201 such that there is minimal lateral expansion or no lateral expansion, as shown in FIG. 28C . Alternatively, the forced air flow 215 may further expand laterally, or may be limited to be narrower than the air outlet 201 . For example, as shown in Fig. 28D, the second air outlet 201 is configured to change the degree of lateral expansion of the forced air flow 215 by reducing the forced air flow 215 in the directions of arrows 218 and 219. can be configured. For this configuration, a plurality of vertical shutters may be formed at the outlet of the intermediate outlet 208 . To reduce the forced airflow, the shutter half starting from the left can be moved in the right direction and the shutter half starting from the right can be moved in the left direction. Conversely, in order to expand the forced airflow, the shutter half starting from the left can be moved leftward and the shutter half starting from the right can be moved in the right direction. The shutters can be moved by a motor under the control of the controller 53 .

(00190) FIGS. 28E and 28F are views of the bar 200 showing different directions of the second air outlet 201 and the forced air flow 215 . The configuration of the second air outlet 201 in Fig. 28E is substantially similar to the configuration of the air outlet shown in Figs. 28A and 28B. Additionally, or alternatively, to the lateral expansion and contraction of the forced air flow 215 , the second air outlet 201 may be operated to divert the direction of the forced air flow 215 laterally. For example, as shown in FIG. 28E , the forced air flow 215 may be diverted left and right in the direction of arrow 218 . This can be done via a movable nozzle as described above.

(00191) The second air outlet 201 of Fig. 28F has an extended or slit-like configuration, as also shown in Figs. 28C and 28D. As also shown in Fig. 28F, the forced airflow 215 from the outlet 201 can be diverted left and right, for example in the direction of arrow 218, as shown in Fig. 28F. This can be done via movable nozzles as described above.

(00192) The vertical movement of the second air outlet 201 may be provided by a corresponding movement of a part or all of the bar 200 with which the second air outlet 201 is related. Examples of such movement of part or all of the bar 200 are shown in FIGS. 11A, 11B, 25A and 25B, as described above.

(00193) One or more driving mechanisms may be positioned between the body 100 and the bar 200 to enable vertical movement of the bar 200 . An example of such a drive mechanism is the drive device 11, as shown in FIGS. 12A-12C and 14A-14C previously described. One or more driving mechanisms may be installed between the body 100 and the bar 200 to enable rotational movement of the bar. An example of such a driving mechanism may be a pair of motors 220 provided on each side of the bar 200, as shown in FIG. 19 above. The motor 220 may be a rotary motor or a stepper motor.

(00194) Additionally, or alternatively, the second air outlet 201 itself may be configured differently or may be diverted to change the direction of the forced air flow 215 . Examples of configurations that are diverted to change the direction of forced airflow 215 are shown in Figures 28A-28F. The second air outlet 201 may include one or more nozzles, shutters, or the like to redirect the forced air flow from the second air outlet 201 . Examples have been previously described herein. The redirection or reconfiguration of the air outlet 201 may include redirection or reconfiguration of one or more of the flow guide elements. For example, when the forced airflow 215 is laterally redirected, as shown in FIGS. 28E and 28F, the air outlet 201 may include one or more vertical fin flow guides. These vertical fin flow guides can be diverted in the direction of arrow 218 in Figs. 28E and 28F, whereby the forced airflow 215 is diverted as shown.

(00195) So far, various embodiments described herein include one bar 200 . However, the drying apparatus is not limited to having one bar 200 . For example, for a faster drying process, two or more bars may be used. All exemplary embodiments described herein may include one or more bars.

(00196) FIG. 29 is a view of a drying apparatus having a bar 200 and a second bar 300. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 29 , the second air outlet 201 of the bar 200 may discharge the forced air flow 215 to change the direction in the direction of the arrow 222 , and the second air outlet 201 of the second bar 300 may 3 The air outlet 301 may discharge the forced air flow 315 so that the direction can be changed in the direction of the arrow 223. As shown in FIG. 29 , the bar 200 and the second bar 300 may operate together to dry one specific area. For example, the operation performed by the drying device may be to dry the user's hair.

(00197) Alternatively, each of the bar 200 and the second bar 300 may be assigned an individual area to be built. For example, when the area to be dried is the user's body, the bar 200 may be allocated to dry the user's hair and the second bar 300 may be allocated to dry the user's body. . The assignments described above are exemplary and the bar 200 and the second bar 300 can be assigned in various combinations to build a user.

(00198) FIG. 30 shows a drying apparatus 10 having a bar 20 and a second bar 300 . The driving device 11 may be modular and a plurality of bars may be added to the driving device 11 without structural changes to the body 100 . That is, multiple bars can be added to the existing rack or racks of the body. In installing the bar, the guide member of the bar is movably installed on the guide track. Multiple guide tracks and multiple racks may be used for one or a pair of bars. In other configurations, one or more guide tracks and racks may be used for all bars installed in the body of the dryer. The modularity of the drying apparatus has been described previously.

(00199) When multiple bars are operated on the same guide track or guide tracks and/or on the same rack or racks, there is a possibility of collision between the two driven bars. That is, a collision avoidance method may be implemented. 30 shows a collision avoidance method using a proximity sensor. As shown in FIG. 30 , the proximity sensor is installed on the bottom surface of the bar 200 and the second bar 300 .

(00200) For example, the controller 53 may receive proximity information from the proximity sensor. In the configuration of FIG. 30 , each bar 200 and the second bar 300 are located on the bottom surface, so proximity information from the proximity sensor of the bar 200 is sufficient for the purpose of avoiding collision.

(00201) As a preliminary collision avoidance structure, one bar can move upward by the maximum height minus the cumulative height of the bars above it. For example, in FIG. 30 , the second bar 300 may move from its maximum height minus the height of the bar 200 . When the third bar is installed, the third bar can move up to a value obtained by subtracting the cumulative height of the bar and the second bar from its maximum height.

(00202) FIG. 31 is a flowchart illustrating a collision avoidance configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention. With the preliminary collision avoidance configuration as a background, the controller 53 can operate the following collision avoidance configuration as shown in FIG.

(00203) In step S200, the bar moves according to the task until the proximity sensor of the bar detects an object, here it may be another bar, and provides proximity information to the controller 53. In step S210, the controller 53 stops moving the bar as soon as it receives the proximity information.

(00204) In step S220, the controller 53 continues to receive the proximity information and determines whether the distance between the bar and the object is less than a predetermined threshold. If the distance is smaller than the predetermined threshold, in step S230, the controller drives the bar, in this case, the motor of the bar, to move upward. In step S210, the controller 53 stops the bar and determines whether the distance between the bar and the object is less than a predetermined threshold in step S220. If the distance is smaller than a predetermined threshold, steps S230, S210, and S220 are repeated.

(00205) If, in step S220, the controller 53 determines that the distance is greater than (or possibly equal to) a predetermined threshold, in step S240, the controller drives the bar to continue moving downward and performs the task. let it resume Subsequently, when the controller 53 determines that an object has been detected, the process starts over again in step S200 .

(00206) The process described above is exemplary, and other types of anti-collision configurations may be implemented. For example, the maximum number of bars that can be installed on the body can be determined. For each number of installed bars, up to the maximum number that can be installed, the movement of the bars for each operating mode of the dryer is preconfigured. The configuration of the operation of the bar for the mode of operation may be such that one bar does not collide with another. The configuration may be stored in a semiconductor memory 58 (see FIG. 20 ) in which the controller operates or where the configuration is part of the controller hardware. For example, a bar may signal what is installed in the body via an electrical connector 59 such as that shown in FIGS. 12D and 14C. A controller located on the body may determine the number of installed bars based on the number of received signals.

(00207) Figures 32A to 32D are views showing safety features of a bar according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the drawings, the bar may include a plurality of proximity sensors. Although this embodiment contemplates using a proximity sensor, other sensors may be used. For example, an image sensor or an infrared sensor may be used.

(00208) The proximity sensor 211 may be installed at one or more corners of the bar. However, the proximity sensor 211 may be located in the center of one or more surfaces of the bar. Although the figures show that three or four proximity sensors are used, in other configurations, fewer or more proximity sensors may be used. For example, the two proximity sensors 211 may be respectively positioned on the upper and lower surfaces of the bar and may be used.

(00209) The bar can be viewed as having two moving and stationary modes. The two modes of movement may be those in which the bar moves vertically upwards relative to the body and downwards. Another mode may be when the bar rotates about its longitudinal axis. The longitudinal axis may be centered with respect to the bar along its longitudinal length (see FIG. 32B) relative to the bar or the longitudinal axis may be eccentric with respect to the second body (see FIG. 32A).

(00210) Referring back to FIG. 32A, the bar 200 can be moved vertically or can be rotated about its axis. When one or more proximity sensors 211 , for example, detect an object 212 , the one or more proximity sensors 211 concerned send proximity information to the controller 53 . The controller 53 may compare a predetermined threshold value and proximity information. If the proximity information is greater than a predetermined threshold, the controller 53 may keep the bar moving or rotating. If the proximity information is less than a predetermined threshold, the controller 53 may stop the bar 200 from moving or rotating.

(00211) The controller 53 may continue to receive proximity information. When the controller 53 stops the movement of the bar, if the controller 53 determines that the object has crossed a predetermined threshold and is much closer to the bar until the next predetermined threshold, the controller 53 will If is rotated, for example, as shown in Figure 32A, the bars can be parallelized.

(00212) The upper surface of the bar 200 may be perpendicular to gravity so that the object 212 may be seated on the upper surface of the bar 200 . The upper surface of the bar 200 may support the object 212 . The proximity sensor or sensors 211 detect the presence of the object 212 on the bar 200 , and the controller 53 may maintain the bar 200 in a stationary state. When the object 211 is removed from the bar 200 , the controller 53 may vertically move or rotate the bar 200 .

(00213) Referring now to FIG. 32B , the controller 53 may rotate the bar 200 . As the bar 200 is rotated, one or more proximity sensors 211 may detect an object 212 such as, for example, a human hand. The proximity sensor or sensors 211 provide proximity information to the controller 53 . The controller 53 may compare the proximity information with a predetermined threshold. If the proximity information is greater than a predetermined threshold, the controller 53 may continue to rotate the bar 200 . If the proximity information is less than a predetermined threshold, the controller 53 may stop the bar 200 from rotating.

(00214) In one configuration, the controller 53 may wait until the expiration of a time delay, eg, two seconds, before resuming rotation of the bar 200 . After the resumption of rotation, if the controller 53 determines that the proximity information is less than a predetermined threshold, the controller 53 stops the rotation of the bar 200 and repeats the process. In another configuration, the controller 53 may wait until the proximity information is greater than a predetermined threshold before resumption of rotation of the bar 200 .

(0215) Referring now to FIG. 32C, while the bar 200 is stationary, vertically moving, or rotated, one or more proximity sensors 211 may detect the bar 200 and the body 100 (not shown). It can detect objects in between). In the mode where the bar 200 is stationary, the controller 53 may hold the bar 200 stationary until the object is removed. In the mode where the bar moves vertically, the controller 53 may stop the motion of the bar 200 until the object is removed. In the mode in which the bar 200 rotates, the controller 53 may stop rotating until the object is removed.

(00216) Referring now to FIG. 32D , a further example of a bar 200 and a second bar 300 is shown. Each of these may include one or more proximity sensors 211 . Information from proximity sensors can be used, for example, in the anti-collision scheme described above with reference to FIGS. 30 and 31 .

32D , one or more bars 200 or bars 300 may rotate relative to the body 100 . If one of the bar 200 and the second bar 300 rotates, this rotation may have the potential to cause a collision between the bar 200 and the second bar 300 . To this end, when one or both of the bars are rotated by receiving proximity information from the proximity sensor 211 of the bar 200 and the second bar 300, the controller 53 controls the bar 200 In order to prevent a collision between the and the second bar 300 , an operation may be additionally performed as described with reference to FIGS. 30 and 31 .

(00218) A method for regulating the airflow generated by the drying apparatus will now be described. As described above, the drying apparatus 10 may perform air management of a given space. For example, the space may be a bathroom. During a hot day, the drying device 10 can cool the bathroom, and on a cold day, the drying device 10 can warm the bathroom for user comfort. In this scenario, the controller 53 may determine the ambient air or ambient heat level of the bathroom and use this information to adjust the temperature to the user's satisfaction.

(00219) For example, in a hot bathroom, a user may sweat to keep cool. The sweat evaporates while taking some heat from the user's body to provide a cool feeling. However, when the humidity level in the bathroom is high, the sweat does not evaporate effectively and thus remains as moisture on the user's body. This may cause discomfort to the user by making the user feel more covered than the temperature of the bathroom.

(00220) Therefore, the controller 53 that controls the bathroom may need to consider humidity as well as temperature. In one embodiment, the controller 53 needs to consider a comfort index that correlates temperature and humidity to determine the user's comfort. A temperature-humidity index (THI), known as the discomfort index, may be used to determine a comfort perception for a currently sensed temperature and a currently sensed humidity.

(00221) There are several formulas developed for determining THI. one formula is

THI = T _d - (0.55 - 0.55RH)(T _d - 58).

where T _d is the dry-bulb temperature in °F and RH is the relative humidity in percentage, expressed in decimal. For example, 50% relative humidity is 0.5.

(00222) It should be noted that the THI is relative, not absolute. Temperature affects people differently. A variety of factors, such as height, weight, gender, health status, etc., can cause certain people to feel the temperature differently than others.

(00223) The table below reflects the comfort of a general person.

level THI range comfort level very high 80 or more everyone feels uncomfortable height 75-80 or less 50% feel uncomfortable commonly 68-75 or less start to feel uncomfortable lowness 68 or less no discomfort

(00224) FIG. 33 is a flowchart showing a method for regulating the temperature of a given space using a temperature-humidity index (THI) by a controller in an embodiment of the present invention.

(00225) Referring to FIG. 33, in step S300, the controller 53 may receive sensing information from the thermal sensor. The information may be the ambient temperature of the bathroom. In step S310, the controller 53 may obtain detection information from the humidity sensor. The information may be a humidity level of the bathroom. In step S320, the controller 53 may use the obtained temperature information and humidity information to determine the THI. One equation that the controller 53 can use to obtain the THI may be the equation provided above. The equation may be stored in the memory 58 so that it can be accessed by the controller 53 .

(00226) In step S330, the controller 530 may determine whether the obtained THI is greater than or equal to 75. The reference index 75 may be stored in the memory 58 . It should be noted that the reference index of 75 is not absolute. For example, the reference index 75 may be increased or decreased in the memory 58 according to the needs of the individual user. If the THI is less than 75, the controller 53 may continue to step S360, and the controller 53 may exit the adjustment of the THI.

(00227) Otherwise, if the controller 53 determines that the THI is greater than or equal to 75 in step S330, the controller 53 may continue with step S340. In step S340, the controller 53 may send a signal for operating the flow generator. The flow generator can be turned on or off and generates a constant air flow. Alternatively, the controller 53 may be configured to control the variable air intake by using an air intake value corresponding to a desired air flow. For example, the flow generator may be the flow generator 110 located in the body 100 . In step S350 , the controller 53 may operate the thermoelectric device 117 . It should be noted that the operation of the flow generator and thermoelectric device need not be sequential, it may be done simultaneously or in reverse order.

(00228) The controller 53 may send a signal to the thermoelectric device 117 to cool (or heat) the air sucked in through the air inlet 102 . The cooled air may not only lower the temperature of the sucked air but also dehumidify the air. The cooled and dehumidified air may be discharged through the air outlet 101 . The controller 53 may be configured to adjust the amount of heating or cooling through a heat level value. The heat level value may correspond to a cooler or higher heat level than ambient air. The controller 53 may continue step S300 to repeat steps S330 from step S300.

(00229) In step S330, the controller 53 may determine again whether THI is greater than or equal to 75. If the controller 53 determines again that the THI is equal to or greater than 75, the controller 53 continues steps S340 and S350 to suck air and cool the air. The controller 53 continues unless and until the controller 53 determines that THI is less than 75 in step S330. In this case, the controller 53 goes to step S360, and the controller 53 ends the method.

(00230) In some cases, the forced airflow provides a wind chill to the user, and the system can be used to regulate air intake and temperature to a comfortable level. This is the case when the user detects airflow at a lower temperature than that of the ambient air temperature. There are several formulas designed to determine wind speed cooling. To illustrate this, we can refer to the North American and UK wind cooling indices as follows.

T _wc =13.12+0.6215 T _a - ^35.75 v +0.16 + 0.4275T _a v ^+0.16

where T _wc is the wind speed cooling index based on the Celsius temperature unit, T _a is the air temperature in Celsius, and v is the air flow velocity in km/hour.

(00231) Based on the above equation, the higher the forced air flow speed, the lower the temperature of the air flow felt by the user. Accordingly, when the airflow speed increases, the controller 53 may increase the temperature of the forced airflow to obtain the target temperature.

(00232) Embodiments may not have a sensor to determine the airflow velocity, but may assume due to known constraints within the system. For example, the size of the chamber for airflow, the power of the airflow generator, and the size of the outlet for the airflow are all known variables. Accordingly, embodiments include estimating airflow velocity based on these known parameters. Embodiments may also include a table correlating the airflow rate with the speed at which the airflow generator operates. Thus, for a known airflow generator input, the system can know the airflow velocity based on a corresponding predetermined value. In one embodiment, the target surface skin temperature for the user may be between 30 and 32 degrees Celsius. Therefore forced air heating and cooling can be provided to create or maintain this temperature.

(00233) In one embodiment, the temperature of the forced air flow produced by the drying apparatus 10 should be such that there is little or no discomfort to the user. The Humidex of apparent temperature can provide an adequate guide to the level of comfort or discomfort provided by the temperature applied to the user's skin. The discomfort index considers both temperature and relative humidity in determining the level of comfort or discomfort. The discomfort index formula is as follows.

Here, H represents the discomfort index, T _air is the air temperature _{in °C, and T dew} is the dew point temperature in °C.

(00234) In some embodiments, the apparent temperature applied to the user is between 20 and 39°C. In a preferred embodiment, the apparent temperature applied to the user is between 20 and 29°C. As described above, the apparent temperature may be determined in consideration of the wind speed cooling index of the air flow temperature.

(00235) FIG. 34 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the temperature using the wind speed cooling index by the controller in the embodiment of the present invention.

(00236) Referring to FIG. 34 , the controller 53 may control a flow generator for providing a forced air flow to the user's body through the air outlet 201 based on the thermal sensor information and the wind speed cooling index. have. In step S400, the controller 53 receives information from the thermal sensor. The information reflects the ambient air temperature of the bar 200 , for example, if the thermal sensor location is the location of the sensor 209 shown in FIG. 15 .

(00237) In step S410, the controller 53 receives the revolutions per minute (RPM) of the flow generator 204 . In this configuration, the RPM of the flow generator 204 is varied. In the configuration in which the flow generator 204 is not variable and is fixed, the controller 53 retrieves the RPM stored in the memory 58 . The RPM of the flow generator 204 is equal to the air flow speed of the forced air flow.

(00238) In step S420, the controller 53, having the air temperature and the air flow speed of the forced air flow in the bar 200, may determine the wind speed cooling index. One formula that the controller 53 can use to derive the wind speed cooling index may be the formula provided above. The formula may be stored in a memory 58 accessible by the controller 53 .

(00239) In step S430, the controller 53 determines whether the obtained wind speed cooling index is equal to or greater than a predetermined target. The predetermined target may be selected from among many different temperatures or temperature ranges. For example, the target may be a target surface skin temperature of about 30 to about 32°C. The target may be stored in memory 58 .

(00240) If the wind speed cooling index is lower than the target, the controller 53 may continue to step S440. In step S440 , the controller 53 may increase the temperature of the forced air flow by heating the air flow using the resistance heater 120 in the bar 200 . The controller 53 may continue with step S400, and then repeat step S430 from step S400. Since the thermal sensor is adjacent to the air outlet 201, the thermal sensor can detect an increase in temperature. Also, step S410 may be skipped if the RPM of the flow generator is not changed.

As described (00241), the controller 53 repeats the above process until and unless the controller 53 determines that the wind speed cooling index is equal to or greater than the target in step S430. If the wind speed cooling index is equal to or greater than the target, the controller 53 proceeds to step S450, turns off the resistance heater 120, and ends this method.

(00242) FIG. 35 is an exploded perspective view of the upper region of the drying apparatus showing the disassembled state of the filter unit in the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 36 is another exploded perspective view of the filter unit in the embodiment of the present invention.

(00243) The filter unit 104 may provide one or more filtration or treatment of the intake air flow. Particularly in urban or other urban settings, the ambient air may contain undesirable levels of suspended solids. Such solids may be hazardous to human health, and if provided to the user when using a drying device to dry the user's body, may adversely affect the human skin.

(00244) For example, the solid may be basic or acidic, and thus may damage the user's body. The filter unit 104 may include one or more particulate filters 113, as shown in FIG. 36, to trap solids. The one or more particulate filters 113 may be of a generally usable type such as, for example, a glass fiber filter, a polyester filter, or a HEPA filter.

(00245) Ambient air may contain bacteria or viruses, which pose a risk of infection to the user of the dryer. If the particulate filter 113 is not present, the filter unit 104 may include a bacterial and/or virus filter 114 . Such filters may include antibacterial or antibacterial elements.

(00246) It is necessary to reduce or remove moisture from the intake air before it is discharged for drying. The filter unit 104 may include, for example, one or more dehumidifying filters 115 having a desiccant.

(00247) In the present embodiment, the pair of air inlets 102 respectively deliver intake air to the filter unit 104 . The use of a single filter unit 104 is advantageous to provide a single point of maintenance for any filter within the filter unit, especially when there are multiple flow generators.

(00248) FIG. 37 is a front view of the air inlet and the inlet path in the flow generator housing in the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 38 is an exploded perspective view of the air inlet of FIG. 37 .

(00249) Referring to FIG. 37 , the inlet path including the air inlet 102 and the flow guide 116 guides intake air from the air inlet 102 to the filter unit 104 . However, the drying device 10, such as a bathroom or shower room. Because it can be used in a humid environment, water can splash into the drying device 10 or the air surrounding the drying device 10 , including the air inlet 102 . Additionally, during use, there may be water intake at the air inlet 102 due to the operation of the flow generator 110 which may draw ambient water into the air inlet 102 . It is undesirable for such water to enter the drying apparatus 10 . In addition to the water entering the air inlet 102 , the flow path can suck other substances that have passed through the air inlet 102 and direct it to the flow guide 116 .

(00250) As shown in FIGS. 37 and 38 , the air inlet 102 provides an upwardly biased flow path to the flow guide 116 . This upward deflection may act as a gravitational barrier against water or other solid material entering the drying apparatus 10 . To further prevent unwanted water or other objects from entering the flow path, an obstruction may additionally or alternatively be provided in the inlet flow path in the form of an inlet filter 111 , as shown for example in FIG. 38 . . The inlet filter 111, more specifically, may be in the form of a particulate filter for filtering particles from the intake air.

(00251) Alternatively, the inlet filter 111 may be in the form of a macroscopic filter such as a macroscopic mesh filter for preventing the inflow of larger objects. When it is desirable to protect from water flowing into the intake air or to dehumidify the intake air of the intake filter 111, a desiccant for absorbing water may be included.

(00252) As an additional measure for dehumidifying the intake air, a resistance heater (not shown) may be positioned adjacent to the inlet filter 111 . In operation, the resistance heater may heat the intake air to remove moisture from the air. Additionally, the resistance heater may remove moisture in the inlet filter 111 in order to increase the lifespan of the inlet filter 111 .

(00253) FIG. 39 is a front perspective view of an upper region of a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. For example, similar to the configuration shown in FIG. 9A , the connection between the flow generator 110 and the first air outlet 101 of the body 100 is such that the outlet of each flow generator 110 is the body 100 . ) is the same as directly connected to the first air outlet (101). It may be desirable to further heat the air heated by the thermoelectric device 117 to provide additional comfort and/or increased drying efficiency to the user. As shown in FIG. 39 , the airflow from the filter unit 104 may pass through one side of the thermoelectric device 117 to be selectively heated or cooled.

(00254) FIG. 39 shows a square thermoelectric device 117 covering a portion of the discharge air flow path 105, but the thermoelectric device 117 may be rectangular covering both outlets of the discharge air flow path. . That is, the thermoelectric device 117 may have a rectangular shape covering all of the purified air in the air flow path starting at the outlet of the filter unit 104 and ending at the inlet of the flow generator 110 . If the air is heated further, it may be better to heat the heated air downstream of the flow generator 110 .

A thermal element such as (00255) resistance heater 120 may be provided downstream of each flow generator 110 . The resistance heater 120 may further heat the air pressurized by the flow generator 110 toward the first air outlet 101 . The resistance heater 120 may be used as an accelerating device for further heating or overheating the air heated by the thermoelectric device 117 .

(00256) Although the thermal element is shown as a resistive heater in FIG. 39, other suitable thermal elements may be used. In another configuration, the thermal element may be a thermoelectric device that may be used to selectively heat or cool the air downstream of the flow generator.

(00257) Fig. 40 shows a drying apparatus 20 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 41 is a cross-sectional view of the body 100 and the bar 200 of the drying apparatus of FIG. 40 .

(00258) As shown in FIG. 40 , in the drying apparatus 20 , the first air outlet 101 may be disposed across at least a portion of the drying surface of the body 100 . Unlike the drying device 10 described above, when the first air outlet 101 is along the edge of the body 100 , the first air outlet 101 of the drying device 20 is connected to the drying surface 14 . ) including an outlet duct 123 disposed across the surface. In this embodiment, the outlet duct 123 is a plurality of vertical slits extending along the longitudinal length of the body 100 and is disposed across the drying surface 14 . The outlet duct 123 is located in two regions, an upper region 124 and a lower region 129 . This configuration can allow a difference in discharge between different areas of the first air outlet 101 .

(00259) FIG. 41 is a diagram B of FIG. 40 that crosses the body 100 and the bar 200 when the first air outlet 101 is an outlet disposed across the drying surface 14 of the body 100 -B' is a cross-sectional view. In the drying device 20 , a pair of flow generators 110 includes a duct 121 (similar to that shown in FIG. 8 ) through which a forced air flow is discharged from the drying device 20 , a duct 122 , and finally a plurality of It is possible to send a forced air flow to the outlet duct 123 of the dog. Shown in cross-sectional view is a duct 122 that can receive a forced air flow from the duct 121 . The duct 122 may include a plurality of vertical slits extending along the longitudinal length of the body corresponding to the vertical slits of the outlet duct 123 . The duct 122 may discharge a forced air flow to a plurality of outlet ducts 123 through a plurality of slits sequentially discharged to the outside of the body 100 by the outlet duct 123 . The duct 122 and the plurality of outlet ducts 123 may include the first air outlet 101 .

(00260) In this embodiment, the bar 200 may receive air from the flow generator and the generator 110 of the body 100 . For example, the bar 200 may have one or more inlets, such as an air inlet 203 as shown in FIG. 41 . One example of a bar 200 having this configuration is shown in FIG. 17 . Referring to FIG. 17 , the bar 200 having a pair of air inlets 202 at the rear end of the bar 200 is formed from a portion of a plurality of outlet ducts 123 covering the pair of air inlets 202 . You can get forced airflow. Referring to FIG. 41 , one or more air inlets 203 receive air from the flow generator 110 inside the body 100 and discharge the air from the second air outlets 201 .

(00261) In this embodiment, the bar 200 is provided with a pair of flow generators 204 for further accelerating the pressurized air received from the flow generator 110 of the body 100. However, in another embodiment, the bar 200 does not have the flow generator 204 and discharges the forced air flow received from the flow generator 110 of the body 100 as it is. Although not shown, the bar 200 may include a resistance heater 120 as shown in FIG. 19 . Although not shown, the bar 200 may include a thermoelectric device instead of a resistance heater. The bar 200 may further adjust the forced air flow received from the body 100 . Alternatively, the bar 200 may not include an air management device and force regulated by the thermoelectric device 117 of the body 100 without further regulating the forced airflow received from the body 100 . Airflow can be exhausted.

(00262) Referring back to FIG. 40, the drying apparatus 20 may further include a footrest 400 on which a person can place their feet. The duct 122 may further extend to be connected to the footrest 400 . The duct 122 may supply an air flow to one or more air outlets of the footrest 400 so that the air discharged from the one or more air outlets may dry the person's feet. In the configuration shown in FIG. 40 , the footrest 400 may be configured to be retracted into the body 100 of the drying apparatus 20 when not in use, for example. However, in another embodiment, the footrest 400 may be fixed by being supported by the floor without retracting.

(00263) Figure 42 is an exploded perspective view of a body according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(00264) The body 100 may be covered with an injected plastic cover. 42 , the injected plastic cover may include a rear panel 140 , a side panel 142 , and a front panel 144 covering the body 100 . In another embodiment, the plastic cover may have a thin metal plate attached to its surface. The parts of the plastic cover can be snapped together. For example, one part may have a protrusion and the other part to be joined may have a corresponding grooved part. When the two parts are snap-fitted to each other, the protrusion enters and engages the groove portion and the two parts are fixed to each other. The plastic cover forms the appearance of the body 100 and provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Since they are snap-coupled to each other, the plastic cover of the body 100 is separated by pulling the plastic cover from the body 100 and replaced with another plastic cover having a design and pattern that satisfies the user's preference, so that their taste can be optimized for the user. The plastic cover 230 (see FIG. 26 ) of the bar 200 is also removable and can be replaced with another plastic cover having a design and pattern satisfying the user's taste, thereby optimizing the user according to the user's taste. You have to know that it can be.

Exemplary embodiments of (00265) drying apparatus have been described above. Embodiments may be modified for a particular use and suitability.

(00266) Where the preceding description refers to elements or integers having known equivalents, such equivalents are included as if they were individually presented.

(00267) Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It will be appreciated that various changes may be made. Accordingly, the preferred embodiment should be considered only in terms of description and not for the purpose of limitation, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. Moreover, the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the detailed description of the invention, all differences falling within the scope of which are to be construed as included in the present disclosure.

(00268) No feature recited herein shall be construed as referring to 35 USC 112(f) unless the term "means" is explicitly used.

(00269) Many modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10: drying device 11: driving device
14: dry side 40: lead screw
41, 42: nut 44: bracket assembly
45: guide member 46: guide track
53: controller 58: memory
100: body 101: first air outlet
102: air inlet 103: flow generator housing
104: filter unit 106, 107, 108: air flow arrow
110: flow generator 111: inlet filter
113: particulate filter 114: virus filter
115: dehumidification filter 116: flow guide
117: thermoelectric device 118: first side
119: second surface 120: resistance heater
121, 122: duct 123: outlet duct
124: upper region 125: common opening
126: vent 127: pin
128: air opening 129: lower area
130: exhaust port 140: rear panel
142: side panel 144: front panel
200: bar 201: second air outlet
202: air inlet 203: air inlet
204: flow generator 205: air inlet
206: shield 207: air conduit
208: intermediate exit 209: sensor
220: motor 230: cover
400: footrest

Claims (21)

body;
air inlet;
a bar supported by the body and including an air outlet;
at least one flow generator for receiving intake air from the air inlet and discharging a forced air flow through the air outlet; and
and at least one motor for rotating the bar about an axis oriented substantially parallel to the drying surface of the body, wherein rotation of the bar redirects the air outlet.
The drying apparatus according to claim 1, comprising at least one of a heating element and a cooling element for air management of the intake air.
The method of claim 1,
and a driving device positioned between the body and the bar and driving the bar with respect to the body to move the position of the air outlet.
4. The method of claim 3,
a proximity sensor associated with the bar; and
Receive proximity information related to the proximity of an external object to the drying device from the proximity sensor,
and a controller configured to compare the proximity information to a threshold and to disable the drive to stop movement of the bar relative to the body when the proximity information is within the threshold.
The method of claim 1,
a proximity sensor associated with the bar; and
Receive proximity information related to the proximity of an external object to the drying device from the proximity sensor,
and a controller configured to compare the proximity information to a threshold and to disable at least one motor to stop movement of the bar relative to the body when the proximity information is within the threshold.
6. Drying apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said controller is configured to enable rotation of said bar based on expiration of a time delay.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein when the controller receives proximity information indicating that the foreign object has moved beyond the threshold and is within a proximity of a next threshold, the controller determines that the top surface of the bar is in the direction of gravity relative to the foreign object. Drying device configured so that the bar is horizontal to be vertical.
The drying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to operate the driving device upon receiving proximity information indicating that the proximity information exceeds a threshold value from a proximity sensor.
The drying apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to operate at least one motor when the controller receives proximity information indicating that the proximity information exceeds a threshold value from the proximity sensor.
The drying apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the bar includes a proximity sensor, and the proximity information sent from the proximity sensor indicates a proximity of an external object to the bar.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the drying device comprises: a plurality of bars including at least one proximity sensor; and
receiving proximity information from a proximity sensor of the at least one bar, comparing proximity information to a threshold value of at least one bar with respect to proximity of another adjacent bar, and controlling the operation of the driving device when the proximity information is less than a threshold value Drying device including a controller to stop.
The drying apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the proximity information is a distance between at least one bar and another adjacent bar.
The drying apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to operate the driving device when the proximity information is greater than or equal to a threshold value.
According to claim 1, wherein the drying device comprises a plurality of bars, the drying device,
Memory; and
and a controller configured to control movement of the plurality of bars by a driving device according to an operation configuration stored in the memory.
The drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air outlet of the bar is one of a circle, an ellipse, or a quadrilateral, and the air outlet has an arc angle such that the air outlet expands when the forced air flow is discharged from the air outlet.
16. Drying apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the angle of the arc of the air outlet is adjustable.
The drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air outlet of the bar is an elongated slit transverse to the longitudinal length of the bar so that the forced air flow is discharged as air in the form of substantially planar blades.
The drying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air outlet of the bar is movably operable to provide a redirection of the forced airflow.
The drying apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air outlet includes a moving flow guide, the flow guide operable to provide selective redirection of the forced air flow.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the driving device comprises:
a first drive member associated with the body and a second drive member associated with the bar, wherein at least a portion of the first drive member and the second drive member are connected to each other, and
and a motor for driving at least one of the first and second driving members relative to the other to move the bar relative to the body, and consequently to move the position of the air outlet of the bar;
Here, the first driving member is a lead screw and the second driving member is a nut positioned on the lead screw.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the driving device comprises:
a first drive member associated with the body and a second drive member associated with the bar, wherein at least a portion of the first drive member and the second drive member are connected to each other, and
and a motor for driving the second driving member with respect to the first driving member, and consequently moving the position of the air outlet of the bar;
Here, the first driving member is a toothed rack, and the second driving member is a gear engaged with the toothed rack.

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